Erik Watkins
Physical Therapist
Erik is a Licensed Physical therapist and has worked in an outpatient orthopedic setting since 2014 treating both orthopedic and neurological conditions.
Erik is a former Active duty infantry Marine and served from 2001-2005. After his honorable Discharge he returned to school and earned a B.S. in Forensic Anthropology in 2009 and was part of the inaugural DPT program at WCU receiving a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2014.
Prior to physical therapy school, he worked as a personal trainer and received his Level 1 powerlifting coach certification through Powerlift Australia in 2010. Erik is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He has taken many continuing education courses and is a Certified Kinesiotape practicioner (CKTP), certified in Selective Functional Movement Assessment and Functional Movement Screen (SFMA/FMS), and is certified in dry needling (Cert. DN). Erik is an APTA credentialed clinical instructor and has served as a clinical instructor for WCU’s Physical Therapy and Athletic Training Programs. He is a member of a clinical education task force that includes other regional therapists whose purpose is to advise and assist WCUs physical therapy program faculty in ensuring quality clinical education experiences for their students interspersed throughout their evolving curriculum. Along with other therapists in the clinic Erik assists with proctoring WCU physical therapy program practical exams for musculoskeletal course work in the fall semesters. He enjoys all aspects of Orthopedic and sports rehab from movement dysfunction to joint-specific injury and rehab. He is passionate about helping patients improve their quality of life, achieve more than they thought possible in their rehab and returning to what they love doing the most.
Erik was born and raised in Hendersonville, NC and has lived in Jackson county since 2008. Outside of the clinic he enjoys spending time with his wife Katie and their pets Sasha and Theo. He remains an active member of Jackson county Veteran support group and participating in PTSD awareness and for the past 3 years has been one of the panelists of “Unseen Scars”, a roundtable discussion and presentation of combat veterans that has been held at WCU campus around Veterans day. Erik enjoys all aspects of fitness and exercise and is co-owner of a local mixed martial arts gym and functions as the strength and conditioning coach as well as assists in teaching boxing and kickboxing classes. He additionally enjoys running obstacle course races and recently ran the Spartan Super in Asheville for his second time in July of 2017.
